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(No'ModeLJ P@ J. G-SOHWIND. AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

1 I0.59 O ,9 78.v Patented Oct. 5,1897.

INVEIN'T'UR- NITE STATES {ATENT l rricn.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,978, dated October 5, i897.

Application filed October 1, 1895. Serial No. 564,291. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANZ JOSEPH GSCHWIND, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, and a resident of the city and county of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of automatic fire extinguishers in which a valve closes an outlet and is held to its seat by a heat-actuated restraining device adapted at a predetermined temperature to release the valve and allow the water to discharge and extinguish the fire. It is a well-recognized fact that in many cases in periods of non-use the valve becomes corroded or otherwise stuck to its seat, so that it cannot be forced ofi by the pressure of the column of water when the heat-actuated restraining device has operated and the valve is otherwise free to move. Again, the construction and arrangement of the body or frame and of the sprinkler-head have in many extinguishers of this class been of such a character as to present obstacles to the free passage of the column of water into the sprinkler-head when the valve was released, and have thereby tended to weaken or divert its force to a greater or less extent before it entered the sprinkler-head, thereby materially diminishing the area over which the water would otherwise be sprayed effectively if permitted unobstructed entrance into the sprinkler-head. The first of'the'abovementioned objections I obviate by my inven-' tion by providing auxiliary means'fo'r forcibly removing the valve from its seat, and also bodily removing it out of the path of the column of Water when the valve is otherwise released by the operation of the heat-actuated restraining device, and the second I obviate by so constructing and arranging the frameand sprinkler-head as to afiord an unobstructed passage for the column of water into the sprinkler-head, thereby increasing the area over which the water will be effectively sprayed.

Myinvention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the body and sprinkler-head and in the novel construction of the valve and of the heat-actuated restraining device which holds the valve to its seat,

screwed into apipe-fitting.

and also in the novel provision of means for forcibly removing the valve from its seat and out of the path of the column of water after the heateactuated restraining device has operated to release the valve.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1' is a front elevation .of my sprinkler in the closed position. 2 is'a top view of the same.

Fig. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the valve just lifting from its seat after the heat-actuated restrainingdevice has operated to release the valve. Fig. 5 illustrates the operation of the auxiliary means for'removing the valve after it has been released by the heat-actuated restraining device. Fig. 6 shows the valve removed. Fig. '7 is a detail section of a portion of the valve. Fig. 8 is a top view of the washer constituting a part of the valve-restraining mechanism. Fig. 9 is an edge view of. the same. Fig. 10 shows the adjustingscrew which serves to" hold the several parts together when the valve is closed. Fig. 11 is an elevation of the upper portion of the valve. Fig. 12 is a plan view of the restraining-ring, which issecured to the upper portion of the valve by fusible solder. Fig. 13 is an elevation of the 'lower portion of the valve. Fig. 14 is an elevation of the noncorrosive cap fitted upon the lower portion of the valve.

Similar reference letters and numerals'indicate like parts wherever they occur in the drawings.

'A represents thebase of the sprinkler,which is provided with a centrally-located outlet for the passage of the water and is adapted to he Said base is also provided with a peripheral horizontally-projecting lip or flange upon which rests the wrench in screwing the base to place and with aregularly-arrangedseries of open notches a, adapted to be engaged by the teeth of a novel ratchet-wrench, which I have invented for screwing the base to its seat. The arms B B,

which I preferably make of circularcross-section, are inwardly turned at their outer ends and serve to support the sprinkler-head C in such manner that its bell-mouth G will be I held in vertical alinement with the outlet A. This sprinkler-head O, I preferably construct ICO in globular form as to its upper portion and perforate it, so that the water will be evenly sprayed by it. The described pLPtSL. 8., the

base, arms, and headare constructed of metal and are preferably cast in one piece.

The valve I construct in two parts. The upper part 1 I make of slightly smallerdiameter than the lower part 2, in order that it will easily drop within the lower part, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. Upon the upper part 1 I secure by fusible solder an annular ring 3, which, projecting laterally beyond the side of the upper part 1, serves to hold the upper and lower parts of the valve apart until the solder is melted, when the pressure of the water will force the lower part upward, and the upper part will fall into it. The bottom of the lower part 2 is made rounding to fit it to its seat upon the top of the outlet A and is provided with a cup-shaped cap 4, made of very thin lead and fitted closely upon the said lower part 2, and serves to prevent corrosion or sticking together of the valve and seat. The upper and lower parts of the valve I preferably make hollow, and in the upper part I form orifices, which serve to prevent cushioning of the air when the parts are released and allowed to close one within the other.

The annular washer 5 I construct of thin flat resilient metal and provide with an annular groove adapted to fit over the edge of the mouth orflaring opening of the sprinklerhead 0 and serve as a resilient abutment for the strut or ad Justin g-screw 6, which is tapped into the upper part 1 of the valve and serves to set the valve in its seat with the required amount of pressure. The adj listing-screw is provided with proper facets adjacent, preferably, to its head for engagement bya wrench for purposes of adjustment or for forcing the valve to its seat. A helical spring 7, wound about one of the arms B and provided with an outwardly-extending arm 8, bears against the side of the valve with sufficient force to throw it off its seat when released by the operation of the heat-actuated restraining device.

In practical operation of my invention, the parts being assembled, as shown in Fig. l, and the valve set to its seat by the adjustingscrew, the leaden cap on the bottom of the part 2 of the valve is pressed to the valveseat, the upper and lower parts of the valve prevented from closing together by the annular ring 3 until the temperature has risen enough to fuse the solder securing said ring to the upperpart l of the valve, when the pressure of the water will force the valve from its seat and the force of the arm of the helical spring be exerted to twist the valve and throw it and its connected parts out of the path of the column of water, which will enter the flaring mouth of the sprinkler-head with undiminished force and by the orifices in the globular part of the head be sprayed over a large area.

Modifications may be made without departing from .the principle of my invention. Either of the valve members may be of larger diameter than the other, provided the smaller one has capacity to shut within the larger when the restraining-ring is detached by the fusion of its attaching-solder. The valve-cap may be made of an alloy instead of entirely of lead.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An automatic fire-extinguisher comprising a base provided with a centrally-located outlet adapted to serve also as a seat for the valve, a sprinkler-head provided with an opening for the admission of water, and with numerous perforations arranged and adapted to evenly and thoroughly distribute and spray the water therefrom over the entire surface within a considerable radius, supporting-arms integrally connected with said base and head, whereby said sprinkler-head is held with its inlet in axial alinement with the outlet in the base, a valve releasably held between said base and head, and means arranged for lateral action against the side of said valve and adapted to serve, as specified, to rock said valve upon its seat and to force it out of the path of the column of water when said valve is otherwise released.

2. In an automatic fire extinguisher, a valve consisting of two tub ular members, one of smaller diameter than the other and adapted to close within the latter when released, combined with each other and with an annular horizontally-projecting ring secured to the side of said smaller member by fusible solder and adapted to serve, as a stop, to prevent the two valve members closing together until said annular ring is detached by the fusion of the solder.

The combination with the base, A, provided with an outlet-opening, adapted also to serve as a seat for the valve, supportingarms, B, B, and a sprinkler-head, C, provided with an inlet-opening held in axial alinement with said outlet-opening in the base, of an annular resilient washer, 5, a valve consisting of two members of unequal diameters, an annular ring, 3, secured to the smaller valve member by solder fusible at a predetermined temperature, and an adjusting-screw 6 adapted to impinge against said resilient washer, 5, and engage with said valve to set the latter to its seat with the required amount of force.

4. In an automatic fire-extinguisher, a horizontally extending and laterally acting spring-arm combined with the frame and valve, and adapted to serve, as specified, to force the valve from its seat and out of the path of the column of water when said valve is otherwise released.

5. The combination with a base, as'A, provided with an outlet-opening adapted also to serve as a seat for the valve, a perforated sprinkler-head 0, provided with an inletopening or mouth, supporting-arms B, B, in-

teg'rally connected with said base and head,

to the valve-face, and a, horizontally-extending and laterally-acting spring-arm '7, adapted to serve, as specified, to force the valve from its seat and out of the path of the column of water when said valve is otherwise released.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of two witnesses, this 28th day of September, 1895.

FRANZ JOSEPH esor-rwmn.

Vitnesses:

HENRY MARSH, J r., JEREMIAH MILLER. 

